Flexible shoe horn



June 13, 1933. E. J. GUTMANN 1,913,709

FLEXI BLE SHOE HORN Filed June 8, 1932 N UNITEDI STA Patented June13, 1933 p TES EUGENE J.' enmMANN, 0E oiiieiicio,v iLLINoIs FLEXIBLE siioE Henn lApplication filed June 8,

The invention` relates to` shoe hornsor l similar articles and provides improvements over the shoe horns of ordinary rigid confortbeing especiallynoiiceable incase the `feet are soreor` have tender spots on or ady intended purpose.

`jacent, the heel. i

An object of the girivention is the provision `of an improved flexible shoe horn, the

use of which enables :shoes to be placed on the feet without discomfort.l i

`Other objects of the invention include the "provision `of a* flexible shoe horn which retains its shape throughout a long period of use, which is reversible and` can be used equally well with either sidein Contact with "the foot, and is sol constructed that it functions satisfactorily for its intended pui'- `pose when not in exact position"relative to` the heel of the sheep.4

` l A. further object of the `*invention is the provision of a shoe `hornwhich is simple,

durable," economical and satisfactory for its `ects and advantages of the described will beobvious tov those skilled in the art frein the disclosure herein given.

To this endmy invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement and combination ofparts herein shown` and described Many other ob i and more vparticularly pointed out in` the Tet` claims. i i

In the drawing, wherein like reference characters Vindicate like or corresponding parts,

Fig. l is a plan View of a shoe horn illustrating one embodiment of the principles of y the invention;

Fig. 4is an edge view of the embodiment shown iii Fig. l;

` Fig. 3 is a sectional View drawn to a larger scale of a fragmentaryportion of the device shown in Figs. l and 2;

`"Fig d is `a plan view of an alternative embodiment of the invention comprising a single layer of flexible tough material' such i `as raw hide which is compressed and permanently set to take-the shape of a standard f 193e. sriai im.` 615,960.

`Vshoeliorn, the material having characteris- "ticsadaptingit to retain its `shape through" 'frequent use fora long period of` time; and struction, the use of which is accompanied with more or less discomfort, such discom- V Fig. 5 isla longitudinalsectional view of. "the deviceshowii in Fig. 4f.

Referring now more particularly tothe drawing, the"V numeral l() generally desigp nates a flexible `reversiblefstrip adapted for use as a shoehorn and embodying the Vprini `ciples of the invention.` The stripv lOcom `prises outer plies orlayers ll of flexible inaterial and an inner cushion layer l2. Any

suitable flexible material constructed of either vegetable or animal" fibre may be used for the louter layers l1 `but animal fibre is inV generali preferred because of its greater flex? ibilityi In piacticethe use ofthiii layers of fine leather for the outer layers 'll has beenfoundliighly satisfactory. In sonic cases thefuse of raw hide for one of the `lay1V ers ll1 and of leathei'for the other has been satisfactory and in still other cases the use ANA of rawhide for both of the layers l1 has been lfound satisfactory as a shoe horn.

The `inner layerV l2 may consist of any" suitable cushioning inaterialsuch as a thin' layer Vof soft rubber, j the adjacent `faces of the layers 1l and 12 being fastened togetliei" by adhesive inaterialnet shown. The outer fibrous layers `ll are preferably `ofthe samexor-of approximately the` same thickness,`thereby adaptingtlie article for. reversibility or interchangeability of use,

it making no difference which of thdlayers y lllis brought into contact with the heel.

The inner cushion layer 12in combination with the soft flexibleouter layers 11 `provides a device adapted to be used com-` fortably with sore or tender heels and to con-` f form to heels of all shapes and sizes." The handle end lei is preferably narrower `than the main body 15 and contains an aperturel by means of which the shoe horn may be suspended from a hook or` a nail` shoe at any accidental angle or position-and OC enabling the foot to be inserted in the shoe Without discomfort or danger of breaking the counter which cannot be done With the ordinary rigid shoe horn, it being necessary in the use of the latter to position` it With accuracy.

The invention also includes an alternative embodiment shown in Figs. 'and 5 as comprising a single layer of raw hide or other animal or vegetable fibre having similar characteristics. bodiment takes the form vof a shoe horn comprising a strip of ravv hide 16 permanently fashioned to take the form of a standard shoe horn having an aperture 17 in the handle portion.

The material, being flexible, adapts it- .self toY any size or shape of heel and by reason of its yielding under pressure also avoids Vdangerof vtearing or breaking the counter or heel of the shoe. v Its iexibility adapts it foruse as a shoe horn and enables i the wearer to put on a shoe Without discomfort and to remove the article from the shoe Without injury to a sore or tender heel. The vflexibility of the material also causes the article to return to its original shape following temporaryr distortion caused by its compression bet-Ween the heel of the Wear- `er and the heel ofthe shoe.

The use of raw hide or of other similar vranimal fibre. as shoe horn material enables the articles to be provided at a very loW cost.

Thus it Will be seen that I have provided a novel'leXible, reversible shoe horn, which is inexpensive to manufacture, Which adapts itself to any size or shape of heel, which can be used With sore or tender feet Without discomfort and which can be manufactured at a low cost.

Having thus described my invention, it is obvious that various immaterial 1n`odiica` Vtions. may be made in the same Without departingk from the spirit of my invention; hence, I do not Wish to be understood as limiting myself to the exact form, construction, arrangement and combination of parts herein shown and described or uses mentioned.

Vhat I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. As a nevv article of manufacture, an oblong reversible flexible strip having 'a configuration adapting it to be positioned in the heel of a shoe with one end projecting therefrom to provide a handle,'said strip comprising outer layers of fibrous material and an inner layer of cushioning material. 2. A shoe horn comprising lthree layers of flexible material of similar' configuration joined together to provide a fiat strip, the outer layers being of fibrous material and the inner layer of cushioning material, the configuration of the strip adapting it to be positioned in the 'heel of a shoe with one The alternative emend projecting therefrom vto provide a handle.

In Witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this first day of June A. D., 1932.

EUGENE J. GUTMANN. 

